Exclusive : Second Wind's Karen Perez on Facing Adversity Headfirst
In the early days of the pandemic, back when KN95 masks were a rare sight, stylist Karen Perez identified a need for cloth masks that were chic yet functional.
Her first piece, a handmade, elegantly cut luxury fabric adorned with a stylish chain, laid the groundwork for her success, but it wasn't without complications.
In the early days of Second Wind, Perez's design was closely imitated by a much larger retailer, but it was thanks to the strength of her friends in the fashion industry and fellow Latinas that the similarities did not go unnoticed.
"I owe my success to all the women in our community who banded together to try to amplify what was going on in the controversy. I think that's what made us so successful," said the designer and Chica Boss of Colombian and Ecuadorian heritage.
In an exclusive interview with People Chica for #HispanicHeritageMonth, Perez discusses how her business got started, her advice for fellow Latinas and where she's headed next.
Courtesy of The Bonita Project
You're no stranger to the cutthroat nature of the fashion world. What inspired you to keep growing your brand after facing adversity?
Being Latina is definitely something that has put [a] fire under me. My community, my friends and my client base are mostly women, and they inspired me to start a business. I never thought something that you are really passionate about can actually turn into [a] business.
I [will] always be thankful for the people in my life, the women in my life, my family [as] those are the people that really motivate me.
Your business became almost an overnight success. What were the unexpected consequences you faced because of this?
People always want that quick success story, they want instant gratification. And while I did get a quick attention grabber in some kind of scandal, a lot of hard things came with all that attention, and it comes with all this responsibility.
As a small business, you're not ready for anything like that. I had to learn really quickly how to properly scale my business. There were definitely a lot of ups and downs [and] a lot of things I had to teach myself, but I knew I needed those experiences in order to grow.
During the pandemic, many businesses were forced to close shop. How were you able to grow yours?
I think being truthful to my brand and to myself, connecting with my community and being very honest and authentic.
A lot of customers identify with that—they want to better spend their hard-earned money on something that has value because there are so many brands out there that are either mass producing or copying.
You've spoken on the importance of leveraging your network in order to succeed. How can first-gen Latinos start creating their own?
It's so important to take on the knowledge from your family because they have a mound of knowledge that we don't even realize.
My family members are not in the fashion industry, but a lot of things that I've taken into this business is from what I've learned from my mom, from my dad, from my sisters. Having that network and having that support system is so important.
Being an entrepreneur as a first-generation Latina motivated me to keep going because I saw the hard times that my family had starting life here, starting a business here and not having anyone to turn to.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jennifer López have helped give your company a big boost. Why is it important to help uplift small businesses and how can we use our own platforms to do so?
Having [help from] these amazing women, these powerful women that are known around the world is so impactful. For them to even know a little about me and my little business, it's a dream. When AOC came to visit [our offices], she understood her impact.
What I love about our community is that no matter where we are in our lives, we can definitely impact people in small businesses. You don't even need to purchase anything, I think giving a like on a post and recognizing it [...] small businesses love that.
What's next for Second Wind?
We just launched our apparel. That's really exciting. We actually had a very famous celebrity purchase our apparel. I don't want to name her yet, but she's been following us for so long.
And JLo also just purchased another piece as well. We're expanding in sizes so we can be more inclusive while still making everything in New York [and] in the USA.
What advice do you have for other Latinos looking to break into the fashion industry?
The number one thing I always say is you need to believe in yourself. I always say this to any young person, anybody that wants to become an entrepreneur.
If you're not believing in yourself, no one else is gonna believe in you. So whatever little idea you have, it could be the smallest thing but that could be your biggest break. Just keep pursuing it. Follow your gut, follow your instincts, go into everything with a purpose and passion and you will succeed.
